In general, bathtubs are formed by a bathing well having an integrated bath rim formed along the upper perimeter of the bathing well. The bathing well holds water that allows a bather to soak and wash during use of the bathtub. The bath rim, in some instances, may be designed solely for aesthetic purposes such that a decorative effect is provided to the bathtub. In other instances, the bath rim may be designed to serve a functional purpose, for example, to provide an alternative means for introducing water and/or a cleaning liquid into the bathing well.
In addition, in order to enhance the bathing experience, some bathtubs may be designed as whirlpool baths. Whirlpool baths typically include a bathing well connected to a branched piping system, which connects to a plurality of jets that allow for the recirculation of water back into the bathing well. The plurality of jets increase the flow of water over the bather's body, providing a relaxing and/or massaging effect to the bather. However, if a bather chooses to bathe with less than a full bath of water, there is typically no water being provided to the upper half portion of the bather's body as the plurality of jets are often located in the lower half of the bathing well. Thus, in some instances, the bather may have to substantially fill the bathing well with water in order to provide a means for keeping the upper half portion of the bather's body exposed to the warm water, which may lead to an increase in water consumption.
Accordingly, given the potential versatility in both the aesthetic and functional purposes of a bath rim, it would be advantageous to provide a bathtub having a bath rim that can be customized to a specific functional purpose according to an individual bather's needs, while still retaining the desired aesthetics of the bathtub. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide a bathtub that allows for an alternative, or an addition, to a whirlpool bath system. These and other advantageous features will become apparent to those reviewing the disclosure and drawings.